


From Now On

by aserene



Series: Judgement Day Rewritten [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, HEA, Judgement Day AU, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24081745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aserene/pseuds/aserene
Summary: Well, being shot, probably beat fading away. Although nothing about this was painless. Director Jennifer Shepard, first female Director of an Armed Federal Agency knew something about pain, about being shot, but she knew this time, this time she’d flown a little too close to the sun.One moment of honesty to know for sure, she thought as she felt her heart rate slow. It would have been worth it.What happens when that moment is granted?
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jenny Shepard
Series: Judgement Day Rewritten [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737406
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own NCIS. Nor do I own the lyrics to From Now On, from The Greatest Showman

  
  


_ I saw the sun begin to dim _

_ And felt that winter wind _

_ Blow cold _

  
  


Well, being shot, probably beat fading away. Although nothing about this was painless. Director Jennifer Shepard, first female Director of an Armed Federal Agency, knew something about pain, about being shot, but she knew this time, this time she’d flown a little too close to the sun. She was glad Franks was out back, as she registered his gun firing the last four shots. Franks would protect Gibbs, and that, that was what mattered. She had thought of calling him multiple times today. Thoughts of calling him during her two-week vacation, where she stewed about the house though she had told Ducky she was heading to Switzerland to try a new treatment. Lies had become her life lately.  _ What would one moment of honesty cost?  _ She thought in what she knew were her last moments. She knew from the bottom of her heart that Gibbs would have taken the Frog to the grave. She wasn’t sure why he was still loyal to her after all this time, but he was. She knew he’d lied to Tobias,  _ well probably just agreed with whatever Tobias said.  _

In her two weeks off, she had considered turning up at Gibbs’ house with a bottle of bourbon and saying to hell with everything. She just hadn’t wanted to have that moment of vulnerability, that moment that she knew Gibbs would see behind the facade and zero in on the truth. Realistically she doubted he would even hear her out. Though the way he’d been looking at her before the investigation had her questioning that as well. She had lost count of the times she’d thought of telling him, Franks had been right to an extent. She hadn’t told him for many reasons, but chief among them was not wanting to see the hurt when he realized she was going away again, or in part from witnessing that hurt, because it would mean he did still care about her. 

_ One moment of honesty to know for sure _ , she thought as she felt her heart rate slow.  _ It would have been worth it. _


	2. A (wo)man learns who is there for her, When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Jenny tries a different approach.

_ A (wo)man learns who is there for her When the glitter fades, and the walls won't hold _

  
  


Jennifer Shepard shot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat taking deep breaths as her hands flew to her stomach. She pressed down, expecting to find blood but found nothing, realizing she was in bed and not in a diner. She took another deep breath, trying to regulate her heart rate. The pain radiating through her body felt like she'd been shot, but a quick examination found no bullet wounds.  _ A nightmare, it was just a nightmare _ , she thought as she glanced at the alarm clock. It was one day into her mini-vacation. In two weeks, she would get the phone call that William Decker had died. Jenny, much like her former partner, did not believe in coincidences. She thought back through the nightmare, she had asked for one moment of honesty. Perhaps this was a second chance. 

_ I could stay here, do what I remember doing, I could try to find Svetlana now and get to her first, I could go to that clinic in Switzerland... _ her thoughts trailed off. She hadn't been thinking about this in her last moments in the nightmare. She'd been thinking about Jethro. About being honest with him just once. What's _ waited till tomorrow starts tonight _ . She wasn't sure where those words had come from, but they kept repeating in her head. She glanced again at the clock. It was only just ten. She had undoubtedly been sleeping more, she realized, a sure sign of what was coming. 

_ He's probably sanding the boat,  _ a little voice in the back of her head reminded her. What's _ waited till tomorrow starts tonight _ . She sighed, pulling on a sweatshirt from the end of the bed and slipping her feet into shoes. As she came down the stairs, she moved her gun in the small of her back, her badge in the pocket, and grabbed the keys to her car. It was a slow drive, and she thought long and hard about what she should say, what she could say. Before she had made up her mind entirely, she was pulling into his driveway and taking a deep breath. He was home, she could tell from the truck in the drive and the faint side light coming for a window to the basement. Another deep breath had her walking through the unlocked door and quietly down the steps to the basement. He was there, working on the boat as predicted. She paused on the steps a moment, just watching. 

She knew he was aware she was there. She wished he would say something, anything, but judging from their last conversation; she was going to have to start this one.  _ You wanted one moment of honesty, you said it would be worth it, prove it or risk that future coming true _ , her inner voice was nearly as bossy as she was. Jenny took off her gun and pulled out her badge setting it down on the workbench. She flipped over a mason jar and emptied it before righting it and pouring two fingers of bourbon. If she was going to do this, she was going to need some additional courage. Her silence attracted enough of his attention, and he paused in his movement. 

"Something on your mind, Director?" He drawled out her title almost in taunt. 

"I'm not the director right now, from now till the sun comes up tomorrow," She replied, taking a seat on one of the stools nearby without looking at him. He didn't acknowledge her response, but he had turned to face her watching her steadily. "You know, no one asked me why I used Jeanne, why I thought to go after her to get to Le Grenouille. No one, and then it occurred to me, that the one person who would ask me that had already figured it out. I suppose I should be grateful you don't' tell Tobias everything, even if it was before you. I'm sure it wouldn't have helped my case." 

Jenny watched him as he listened to her turning back to the boat and continuing to sand. "When I started this op, I was glad you were in Mexico. The reason I kept it quiet wasn't that I didn't trust you, that was never the issue. The issue was always going to be that I did trust you. I also trusted that you knew me a little too well and would know that I wasn't just doing this for the better of NCIS or to rid the world of one arms dealer. Turns out, I picked the wrong one, but then you already figured that out. Or at least you've started to. I would imagine Fornell turned over the evidence to you after Kort mysteriously showed up with his sanction order," she watched his body language as he froze for a fraction.  _ Well, if Fornell hadn't turned it over, it was only a matter of time. _

"You'll give it to Abby, and Abby is well, Abby, and she's good. I never actually considered that part. The sanction as it turns out came before the Frog showed up at my house that night. Kort was just late to the game. I did get the answers I wanted. I imagine you got answers as well." 

"Rene Benoit didn't kill your father," Gibbs said after she paused. 

"No, he just created the situation and was a witness to it as it turns out. I discovered who did; I haven't forgotten that," Jenny replied, watching him turn back to the boat. "I never thought it would give me peace; I never thought it would make things better. I imagine in some way you considered that as well." 

Gibbs stayed silent, processing her words, wondering precisely what this midnight confession was all about. She was also drawing parallels that made him a little uneasy.

"That would bring me to this next part. The Frog wasn't the only operation I've run behind your back using your people." His head shot up so fast she was afraid he was going to have whiplash. "You had just come back from Mexico. You remember the little pep talk I gave you?"

A pause in the sanding was her response. 

"Well, this was right before that. A cold case came to NCIS, courtesy of Fornell, there was a specific request for Abby to investigate after someone heard a lecture she gave. There are days I wonder if Fornell knew where this might lead. NCIS has limited resources, and Abby's time on cold cases has to be approved by me. It also means I see the preliminary reports and all the test results. The cold case was a male, shot long range by a sniper, over a decade ago. The body was extremely well preserved, and Abby was sure she could match the bullet to the gun. Ducky was to get the identification and Abby the results afterward. Abby was...vacillating between over-caffeinated and depressed, she needed a distraction from you being away and so jumped right in. She matched the bullet faster than Ducky could get the identification. The bullet matched a KATE sniper rifle and that was when I told Ducky that Abby had found the identification and not to worry about matching records. I used some of Abby's equipment and ran a DNA sample before I deleted the search results. I used my position to order Abby to delete the file and destroy all the evidence. I told Ducky the family had requested the body back but I had it destroyed. I then ordered McGee to hack the FBI and the Mexican Law Enforcement databases to destroy all relevant case evidence. As far as they're concerned, the body was labeled John Doe and cremated." 

Gibbs had been listening to her and stopped sanding when she'd mentioned the details of the cold case. In the back of his head, he kept waiting for the penny to drop. Abby and McGee both knew now.  _ But no, no, they don't, and doesn't this just put some of what she'd been talking about in a new perspective.  _ Those parallels she'd been drawing earlier hadn't been shady lines; they were boldface and evidence supported.  _ She never questioned why I didn't turn the magazine over to Fornell; he _ considered that the reality was it was the same reason she destroyed the evidence in this cold case. 

"Which brings me to the last thing I have to tell you. Well, not the last, but, the most important. Ten years ago, in Paris. We thought we got out clean," he heard her take a breath in before she looked up, "We didn't." 

Gibbs set the sander down next to her badge and gun. He grabbed a mason jar and set it down next to hers, pouring them both another two fingers. 

"Decker always suspected. And I always knew it might come back to bite us. I just...have this gut feeling that it's coming now," Jenny paused again before shaking her head as if to force herself to continue. "I didn't look hard enough into Le Grenouille's associates or Trent Kort's. Natasha Lenkov, citizen of Uzbekistan, runs a very successful import-export business, or as you might remember her, Svetlana Chernitskaya." 

Jenny set her mason jar down behind her and waited for the explosion. She'd given him three things to use against her, three rather irrefutable items, and this last one well she was going to find out soon enough if the moment of honesty she had begged for dying in a diner was worth it. She watched as he took a sip of the bourbon again, seeming to stare at nothing but the boat. 

"You got anything else you want to share," he inquired, seeming to emphasize each word. She thought about perhaps asking about those talks he'd had with Mike Franks from her nightmare but figured if they were the case, he'd wonder how she knew. She then considered that this was the opening to tell him about her and Ducky's secret meetings, about the diagnosis. 

"Ducky is keeping a secret from you," Jenny answered after a moment. 

"I gathered that." 

"He's doing it at my request." 

"Tell me something I don't already know." 

"I lied in the elevator," Jenny replied, "but you already knew that too." 

"You've taken personal time," Gibbs pointed out. "Yet you haven't gone anywhere, which is interesting because I distinctly remember Ducky saying that you were traveling. So I suppose you're also keeping a secret from him." 

"He thinks I'm in Switzerland getting a second opinion." There were days Gibbs considered that he wanted to throttle her. That now, when she chose the moment of honesty, he was too worried about her to be angry with her. "Don't you dare start to pity me, Leroy Jethro Gibbs." 

"I…" he never got another word out. 

"This was the reason I didn't want to tell you," she snapped. "I'd much rather you just be angry about everything else I've said." 

"Is that what you want, Jen?" Gibbs asked after a minute. He wasn't going to be angry with her; anger hadn't helped them yet. Which brought him to another point, he had at one time considered that she simply hadn't felt the same he did, the last three years of evidence seemed to disprove that. Certainly, the Carson case and the moment on her stairs suggested he was very much mistaken about that. Knowing now about her father, about the Frog, about Paris, put a few more things into perspective. "Rule 51."

"There was never a Rule 51," Jenny replied. 

"There is now," he said. "Sometimes, you're wrong." Gibbs pulled his badge and gun out of the drawer where he kept them and set them next to hers. "I never should have asked you to take that shot. I wondered for a long time if that was why you left." 

"It wasn't the primary reason," she answered honestly. "It doesn't matter now. I'll find her, and this time I'm going to kill her." 

"Is that what why you took this time off? Drop a bombshell and just leave," Gibbs inquired.

"No," Jenny replied. "I hadn't actually planned to say anything to you, but I... I considered what one moment of honesty would cost me." 

"And what has it cost you?" 

  
  



	3. 'Cause from then, rubble  what remains  can only be what's true

_ 'Cause from then, rubble _

_ What remains _

_ Can only be what's true _

  
  


"And what has it cost you?" 

She didn't reply to that considering the answer. Likely it cost any positive feelings Gibbs had toward her, but that didn't surprise her. She must have given herself away somehow because he was suddenly standing close to her, imploring her eyes to meet his. When she didn't, she felt his hand on her chin, drawing her eyes to his.

"Since we're being honest with each other, yes, I've been waiting for Fornell to turn over the file. It's not going to tell me anything I didn't already know. I already knew I have for months. I knew before we found him missing from the boat. All I wanted from the file was for Abby to see if it was even possible to trace it." 

"And then?"

"And then I was going to get rid of it, well no," he suddenly backtracked. "In all honesty, I would have asked you to dinner and proved that I'd gotten rid of it. Then I was going to ask you to dinner again." 

Gibbs gave her his trademark grin as her eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe that it was a surprise to her. He thought he'd been more than obvious lately, but considering she'd backed off since his no on her staircase; he guessed that maybe they both had different versions of that night. 

"You told me no," she reminded. 

"Because I don't want you for a night, Jen, I never did," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. He felt her shiver as his hands fell to her shoulders. His phone buzzing drew them apart as he looked over to it. She picked it up. 

"It's McGee," she said, handing the phone over and taking a moment to take a deep breath. 

"Yea Gibbs," he answered the phone, keeping his eyes on her, wondering if she would run. 

"Boss, Agent Melvin is looking for you. Director Shepard is not at her residence. She also left her tracker behind. It was the condition of her vacation…" 

"Yea, McGee, I know." 

"Oh? Oh... I'll tell Melvin she does not require a protective detail." 

"Do that. And McGee got a job for you, track down Natasha Lenkov, citizen of Uzbekistan, I want her comings and goings and if she's stateside."

"On it, Boss," came the standard response. He snapped his phone close. 

"Slip your detail?" Gibbs inquired. Jenny slipped her hand into her pocket and realized the tracker was probably still sitting on her desk. She said nothing but smiled watching as he hit speed dial three. 

"Melvin is on your speed dial?" 

"Melvin, I've got her," Gibbs said, listening to the voice on the other end ask some additional questions. "Yea, we'll swing by and get the tracker." Jenny watched as Gibbs hung up the phone. 

"So my security takes orders from my ex-partner. I'm not sure why I'm surprised about this," Jenny said with exasperation. 

"We have an understanding," Gibbs replied. 

"And when exactly did this understanding start?" 

"After Brian Dempsey kidnapped you." 

"Oh," came the soft answer. "And McGee calls you instead?"

"They draw straws. Usually, it's DiNozzo." 

"I'm suddenly grateful for McGee," Jenny replied with a laugh. The phone buzzed again, and Gibbs swore, this was not helping him. 

"Yea Gibbs."

"Boss, she's currently in New York, but she's booked on a flight to LA for Friday." 

"Keep monitoring it McGee, see if you can get where she's staying." Gibbs held the phone low; he noticed that Jenny froze when McGee had mentioned LA. "What's in LA, Jen?"

"William Decker." Gibbs was back on the phone. 

"McGee, contact the LA field office, have them take William Decker and any immediate family into protective custody, tell Decker to call me if he has questions." 

"On it, Boss," the phone was tossed back on to the workbench. He watched Jenny shrink in on herself. 

"Fancy a road trip?" Gibbs asked. 

"With you?" 

"Yes."

"And what Jethro? Shoot her in the middle of Central Park? New York is worse than LA. It's not ten years ago; there are cameras everywhere. We had weeks of prep last time." 

"We know where she's going to be." 

"Stakeout Decker's." 

"Yes." The details of her nightmare came flashing back to her. 

"I might know a better place," she said after a moment. "Decker bought a diner in the Mojave Desert. I don't think he ever got it operational." 

"That would avoid attention, except for the fact that if you go out there, Vance is going to know." 

"Vance is a separate issue; I'm sure visiting an old friend is a perfectly acceptable reason." 

"Was that going to be part of your topics this evening?" 

"Vance?" 

"Yes." 

"No, I wasn't aware you disliked him," Jenny said. "I thought it was just me." 

"What?"

"He… I don't know; you would call it a gut feeling. I've been biding my time on him, he was not my choice, but I was told that my choice was not in the best interest of the Agency," Jenny explained. 

"And who was your choice?" She met his eyes with a raised eyebrow. "Not me?" 

"Morrow's exact words were much as I like Gibbs, I would not shoot NCIS in the head, and you cannot afford his handling of the press." 

"He said something similar to me, right before you appeared that day in MTAC." 

"I know," she said with a smile. "I was trying to...come to terms with everything." 

"You had much longer to prepare." 

"Not that much longer, Morrow told me there would be an announcement after Kate's funeral, then he called me that morning and told me to be in MTAC before 10 AM. He was going to make the introduction immediately following the mission. Morrow thought you might listen to me," Jenny said quietly, reminiscing on those first few moments as Director. "I would have much rather waited till you needed something, it was Ziva who persuaded me to just go with it." 

"She knew Ari." 

"Yes, she did." 

"It never occurred to you before I mentioned it, that Ari would go after you." 

"I had met Ari previously. I worked with his sister. I didn't read the profiles Ziva had done on your team on you. I wasn't aware...how thorough they were." 

"You were in my profile." 

"Yes, Ziva told me that after our little shootout. I stayed in MTAC that night; she wanted to make it clear to Ari I was out of reach. I didn't really understand then; he had missed Abby on purpose. It never occurred to me that he had missed his opportunity on me." 

"Ari was following us when we came back to the house." 

"Yes." 

"Ziva never told you what the profile said," Gibbs concluded. 

"No, not till Mexico," Jenny answered. "It put some things into perspective, but by then...I figured it was over." 

"She told you about the orchids in Cairo," he guessed. 

"No, not at first, not till a bunch of orchids mysteriously showed up in my office after you came back." 

"I used to...check your status. I did it the night Kate was killed," Gibbs said. "I didn't come back just for the job." 

"So, my pep talk didn't help." 

"Oh, it helped," he answered with a smirk. "It was just afterward I realized how much I'd missed. I had to make it right with the team, and by then it seemed it was too late to make it right with you." 

"And then you met Hollis." He froze as she brought that up. He had always suspected she was jealous of Hollis. It was about the only good thing that came from that relationship, that and the clarity that he was in no way over Jennifer Shepard, and it was not worth adding another ex-wife to the count. "Relax, Jethro, even after a while, I thought she was good for you." 

"What?" 

"I wanted you to be happy. She seemed to make you happy." 

"Ducky told me about the argument when Sharif resurfaced," Gibbs revealed. Jenny said nothing. "It was actually when Stephanie showed up that I realized what the problem had been." 

"All your exes in a row." 

"Not all, thank God Diane wasn't there," Gibbs exclaimed. She burst out laughing. 

"I had that exact same thought," Jenny said. "So all your exes together, showed you what exactly?" 

"They both had the same problem," Gibbs said. 

"And that was?"

"They weren't you." She seemed surprised by that revelation but nodded her head. She stood, forcing him to step back. 

"We should um...we should get ready for LA," she said after a minute. 

"No, you said until the sun rises tomorrow, sit," he told her, gently pushing her back onto the stool and handing her the mason jar with bourbon in it. "You said a moment of honesty, so here, I didn't go after you ten years ago, I didn't go after you eighteen months ago, I'm not making that mistake again." 

"I…"

"You had your confession time, my turn," Gibbs said, putting a finger gently on her lips. "I tailed you after the frog left the house. I tailed you to the Marina, and then I realized I'd led Kort straight to you. It was when I saw him there that I realized, Beniot never carried a gun. He couldn't have killed your father; at most, he was an accessory. Kort, on the other hand, was getting his hands dirty all the time. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep a long term op going. Kort killed your father, and he was going to kill the frog, he'd just forgotten one tiny detail, you trained with Mossad after you joined NCIS after your father was killed." 

"He planned to set me up for both of them," Jenny guessed with surprise. 

"He revised his plan, assumed control, and that miraculous sanction order gets delivered." 

"Kort was in the house that night as well," Jenny concluded. 

"Not quite, he bugged the house. McGee monitored the search of your house and found the cameras and bugs in the study." 

"How long?" 

"At least since the Interpol conference in Paris," Gibbs said.    
"You suspected before the body was discovered?" 

"I suspected the day you came home from Paris, and I found out we were being polygraphed," Gibbs explained. "You weren't exactly in a talkative mood after I saw the bottle of scotch. As soon as Abby found the fingerprints, I suspected what Kort was going to try. The problem was, he couldn't have gotten that close to you without help." 

"He was CIA. You don't think he could break into the house without me noticing?" 

"The house, yes. Your office, no." 

"My office?" 

"The line you called me on while you were at the conference, was your personal line," Gibbs reminded. 

"You think that was bugged?" Jenny questioned, looking at him intently. "You don't think, you know," she concluded. "It wasn't Cynthia!" 

"I know it wasn't Cynthia. She's loyal to you." She was still trying to process that the one place she had thought she was safe, had been violated. 

"You found it before you came to the house that night. That's why you had that mock interrogation in my office as opposed to the elevator. You could have easily stopped me in the elevator." 

"It was disposed of shortly after that," Gibbs assured, "But yes, I wasn't sure who was on the other end, but they needed to know the bottle didn't work." 

"Jethro, my office is swept every day for bugs." 

"By the same Agent." 

"Usually, yes, he's in the cyber crimes division." 

"Of which, Vance used to be the head of," Gibbs reminded. 

"Vance? Leon Vance?" 

"Your Assistant Director, yes," Gibbs said. 

"Vance and Kort worked together," Jenny clarified, seemingly putting two and two together and getting seven. 

"There is a secondary, sort of subplot to this," Gibbs started. "I asked Hollis for the Army CID file on your father. I may have led her to believe that I was investigating it as a favor to you. She knew we'd been partners." He heard her scoff at that. "She gave me a partially redacted file. Six weeks later was that case that you intervened on, I had… not called her as you found out. Tobias gave me the heads up that when I'd asked for the case file, it was flagged by Vance. When Hollis showed back up on that case, I saw an opportunity to misdirect Vance. He took the bait. Once the frog had vanished, I realized that perhaps I was more like Tony than I gave myself credit for. It wasn't until Stephanie showed up, and I realized that not only were they both not you, but that it was not fair to you or Hollis." 

"You dated her to keep Vance from thinking you were on to him?" She tried to clarify. "I find that hard to believe." 

"Not exactly, in part, but more to make Vance think you had no one watching your back this time." 

"This time?" She echoed. He paused, debating the wisdom. "A moment of honesty," she reminded him. 

"Your kidnapping," he said. "Vance was...vocal afterward about the way it was handled. There were...suggestions made." 

"To the SecNav?" 

"Yes." 

"And I never heard a whisper about it?" 

"It was dealt with, and then a month later, you were a little busy reminding everyone why NCIS was important while simultaneously holding the major case team together, and I was on leave. "

"You were in Mexico when I started this op." 

"Yea, which is what started Vance down the path of thinking no one was watching your back. I just let him continue to think it. I'm not entirely sure Kort didn't take advantage of him." 

"He was pissed he didn't get the job," Jenny remarked after a minute. "He's a problem for another day." 

"Right, so then ah the Danforth case." 

"William Danforth, personal friend of the SecNav, his son was a marine. We turned the case over to Maryland Arson investigators." 

"Abby didn't pick up donor DNA the first time around," Gibbs admitted. "Danforth Jr was dead, though." 

"You did something to the evidence," Jenny stated. Gibbs started to talk, but she covered his mouth. "Not a single word Jethro, I should have known when you caved so easily, and Ducky said you handled the evidence. I don't want to know. Sometimes the ends justify the means." 

"Danforth Senior was pleased about the resolution." 

"Yes, he was. Abby got a new machine because of that case," Jenny said. "Anything else you'd like to admit to?" 

"I bought a ticket to Cairo." She leaned back, stunned. 

"When?" 

"Day after you turned up missing there, I happened to be checking your status. You were reported MIA along with your Mossad partner." 

"You sent Orchids. You didn't show up." 

"Morrow." 

"Morrow found out you were going to what, go on an unsanctioned rescue mission?" 

"Morrow said there was already one in place," Gibbs said. "I take it he lied." 

"I don't know if he lied to you Jethro, Ziva and I managed to get ourselves out," she answered truthfully. "She saved my life, she…" Jenny trailed off. 

"I know, Jenny," he said, his hand slipping from her shoulder to her cheek. His thumb tracing over her cheekbone. "I...I remembered a lot after Mexico. I may have misled you about that." 


	4. If all was lost  There's more I gained  'Cause it led me back  To you

_ If all was lost _

_ There's more I gained _

_ 'Cause it led me back _

_ To you _

“I...I remembered a lot after Mexico. I may have misled you about that.” 

Jenny felt her heart rate accelerate as her memories led her to a time that she had described as nearly perfect, until it got blown to hell, literally. 

“The night after the kidnapping,” she said. 

“Serbia, the night after the kidnapping, the weeks before the explosion,” Gibbs answered. “We had something good, you don’t waste good.” 

“Rule 5,” she remembered. She tilted her head into his palm and pressed a kiss to it.

“Yea, Rule 5,” he agreed. “I should have told you about Shannon then.” 

“Jethro, you never owed me an explanation, not about that,” Jenny answered. 

“I do because I think you may have ended up with the wrong impression,” Gibbs said quietly. “I was...I was angry when you left, but I also, I was afraid you were right and I never wanted you to be an ex-wife. I also could never build you a boat, because I didn’t want to let you go. That was the difference. I didn’t tell you about Shannon, because with you, I rarely thought about her, and it was never...painful.”

“When Dempsey kidnapped me, I told him NCIS doesn’t negotiate. He said you were fond of me, I told him you thought of me as a wife, that you’d had three.” 

“In some ways…just not those three,” he replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’ve always thought of you as my partner.” 

“We were always partners, Jethro,” Jenny assured. “Or did Ducky not mention what happened when it was you who’d gotten taken, hostage?” 

“I gathered you ran your own investigation and found Kody’s mother.” 

“I started by putting on my sidearm and coming up with a way to slip out of NCIS without my detail. Ducky was a step ahead of me, had to remind me I wasn’t your partner anymore.” 

“You were always a good agent, Jenny,” he laughed. She yawned and nodded. Gibbs caught the yawn and wrapped his arms around her back. “You with me?”

“I’m just tired.” 

“Why did you have Ducky run tests?”

“Once the frog vanished, everything, collapsed. I finally felt like I could take a deep breath and it was then I realized that some of the pain and fatigue weren’t because of the op. Do you remember when I stopped pouring you bourbon?” 

“I... a few months ago, at least.” 

“I nearly dropped a glass when I handed it to you, you were angry about something and didn’t notice. I realized then that I should talk to Ducky. I gather he must have tipped you off.”

“Abby.” 

“Abby knows?” 

“Not about you, she told me Ducky ran a sample for a John Doe, it wasn’t good. I confronted him about self-diagnosing. He admitted to being in a difficult spot.” 

“Which would explain the looks, the following week. You are aware that Ducky called me and told me you’d confronted him.” 

“I guessed that.” 

“You never pressed it again,” Jenny said softly, Jethro was sure there was a question in there. 

“I was trying not to give Vance anything more to investigate. I had...was planning to,” he held up a pair of keys.

“Those are Ducky’s keys.” 

“Yea, I thought while you were on vacation,” he trailed off. Jenny was pressed to remember her nightmare, there hadn’t been another confrontation, though as she took her last breath, she remembered a phone ringing in the distance.  _ Forget that future, it’s not going to happen _ . 

“There are some problems you can’t fix, Jethro,” she reminded. 

“You said there were options,” he pushed. 

“They require time, there’s no guarantee. I would take a short sabbatical, which right now…” 

“Vance would pounce on.” She nodded.

“I can’t change who I am Jethro.” 

“I don’t want you to, you never stopped to question whether you could have both. You can by the way. We were making it work.” 

“I know that, but now, now we have to deal with LA, Vance is…”

“Where’s your phone?” 

“What?” 

“Phone?” She handed her phone puzzled as he opened it and pressed speed dial three. 

“Jethro that’s…”

“Shalom Jenny,” came Ziva David’s voice. 

“Shalom,” Gibbs replied. 

“I was...um...Director Shepard has this number for…” Ziva stuttered. “Is the Director alright?” 

“I’m fine Ziva,” Jenny answered assuring her friend. 

“You are going to start a quiet investigation into Trent Kort and Leon Vance,” Gibbs ordered. 

“Who’s with the Director?” came another voice across the line, which was then whimpering in pain. 

“I apologize, Director, I understand and will get started with that. I assume Jenny’s Rule 1 Applies.” 

“You assume correctly, Ziva,” Jenny answered trying and failing to keep the laughter out of her voice. She took the phone back from Gibbs and hung it up. 

“What’s Jenny’s Rule 1?” Gibbs demanded. 

“What Gibbs doesn’t know, can’t hurt us.” 

“Cute, real cute, Jen. They’re breaking Rule 12.” 

“You sound surprised.” 

“You told me a couple of weeks ago she was fine.” 

“She is or will be. Why did you ask Ziva to start an investigation?” 

“Ziva still technically reports to Mossad. Eli David is not so happy about the way things have been going. It would not surprise me if he had evidence of what Kort’s really been up to.” 

“Ziva can’t go back to Mossad, Jethro,” Jenny warned. 

“She’s not, because you’ve been trying to convince her father to attach her to NCIS permanently.” 

“How did you…” 

“You filled the paperwork before the investigation began, you had at most an hour’s notice and you backlogged the file. Ziva earned her spot, Jen, I don’t want her to go back either.” 

“And Vance?” 

“Vance might not be the mastermind here,” Gibbs said after a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s trying to undermine you, but he’s not trying to kill you. I think someone is manipulating you both. You two work together?” 

“Outside of him becoming Assistant Director, no, not really.” 

“That rules out someone on a team. Most of the agents you worked with are in counter-terrorism, except for Ziva.” 

“So if a name comes up too many times, Ziva would flag it,” Jenny realized. 

“So that solves the Vance problem, once we deal with LA that will be solved and then there are options,” he concluded. She nodded. “In the meantime, you probably should sleep.” 

He took her hand and gave it a short tug, having her follow him as he led her up the stairs to the bedroom. She pulled off her sweatshirt revealing the camisole underneath as he pulled down the sheets. He seemed to hover for a moment as she sat down on the left side, her side, he remembered. 

“Till the sun comes up, Jethro,” she repeated patting the space beside her. He pulled off his sweatshirt and shirt lying down next to her. She was curled on her side facing him with her eyes closed. He took her hand in his pulling it to rest on top of his chest. 

“I really missed you, Jen.” 

“I missed you too, Jethro.” 

  
  
  
  



	5. From now on, These eyes will not be blinded by the lights

_ From now on, These eyes will not be blinded by the lights _

It wasn’t until the plane was touching down in Los Angeles, that Jenny considered they hadn’t thought the whole plan through. Waking up beside one Leroy Jethro Gibbs must have scrambled her brain just enough to go along with his plan. The quick stopover at her house to grab the tracker and clothes wasn’t enough for her to rethink or even regret what she had done the night before. 

It seemed simple enough, head out to LA just before Svetlana, attract just enough attention with Decker and Gibbs by her side, stake out the diner, and hope she comes to them. Jenny remembered landing in LA, in a black suit, but in the past for a funeral. Now, she made a point of trying to smile at Decker when he met them at the airport.  _ A chance to do this over.  _

“Decker,” Gibbs greeted, extending a hand and keeping the other on her lower back. 

“Gibbs, Shepard,” Decker responded. “Looks like the gangs back together,” he continued sarcastically. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Unfinished business,” Jenny answered. 

“Oh, yeah?” Decker drawled. “Didn’t think we…” 

“Decker,” Gibbs started tensely. “I know.” Decker glanced between his two old friends. 

“About what?” 

“A loose end, you should have told me about,” Gibbs snapped. Jenny’s hand on his wrist stopped Gibbs from stepping closer to Decker. 

“This is not the place,” she said. “I hear you bought a diner.” 

“You don’t want to head to the office?” Decker inquired. 

“No.” Came the joint answer. Decker directed them outside to his flashy SUV. Gibbs opened the backdoor for Jenny and nodded for her to get in the car. He closed the door and turned to Decker. 

“You sweep the car?” 

“Regularly.”   
“Personally?”

“Yes, don’t necessarily trust the powers that be.” 

“You got a problem, Decker?” 

“Not with her, her assistant.” 

“Yea, I don’t like him either.” Decker chuckled, climbing into the driver’s side and smiled at Jenny while Gibbs climbed in and glanced back. Decker smirked again.  _ Just like old times _ , he thought. 

“So, you guys don’t call, don’t write, and then I get picked up in the middle of the night, brought to a safe house, and then just as suddenly I’m released, and I get a text from your loyal St. Bernard telling me to meet this flight.” 

“Oshyimida,” Jenny replied, looking out the window. Decker flicked his eyes to Gibbs in the passenger seat.

“Well, hell, Shepard,” Decker sighed. “Boss, I uh…” 

“Save it. She told me.” 

“You sure she’s coming?” Decker pressed. 

“Natasha Lenkov is flying in on the red-eye tomorrow,” Jenny said. “McGee has already run facial recognition and matched it. She was an associate of Le Grenioulle’s.” 

“Heard he got taken out by his second in command.” 

“Something like that,” Gibbs sighed. 

“Ah hell, she had you do it?” Decker exclaimed to Gibbs. Gibbs looked puzzled, and Jenny snorted. 

“The Frog’s second is CIA operative, Trent Kort,” Jenny informed. 

“You worked with the CIA? Did he teach you nothing?” 

“There’s no rule against that,” Jenny reminded. 

“Give me time,” Gibbs said with a chuckle. 

“And you, Gibbs, you thought this…”

“Special Agent Gibbs is an Agent. Last I checked it said Director on my door,” Jenny snapped. Gibbs simply tapped the back of Decker’s head. 

“So known hostiles are coming, and you want to go to my run-down diner in the middle of the desert as opposed to a secure federal building, makes perfect sense.” 

“Trent Kort may have an inside man,” Gibbs said just as his phone rang. “Yea Gibbs.” 

“Boss, it’s DiNozzo, we um… McGee has an update.” There was a rustle and suddenly another voice on the phone. 

“Boss, Lenkov is not traveling alone. She’s got at least one man with her, and according to some cell contact, it appears she might be meeting three more.” 

“Keep me updated, any word from Ziva?” 

“Yea, she’s… here you go, Boss,” McGee answered, followed by another rustling. 

“Gibbs, I have spoken to some associates, I have some concerns, Kort may not be who you’re looking for, do you know Riley McAllister?” 

“McAllister?” Gibbs echoed vaguely remembering an older NIS Agent that worked with Franks. Franks never really liked him. 

“Riley McAllister?” Jenny seconded, hearing Gibbs. “What about him?” Gibbs put the phone on speaker. 

“Riley McAllister used to head the San Diego office before stepping down. Leon Vance took over for him.”    
“He’s still in NCIS, although he’s mostly retired,” Jenny explained. 

“He used to work in Russia.” 

“Yea, Ziva, we know,” Gibbs sighed. “Zhukov, wasn’t McAllister the one who put us on his trail?” 

“Oh yeah, that old fossil. Hey, come to think of it, didn’t we work with Vance for a hot second, and that Mossad Agent, David...something.” 

“Eli David?” Jenny leaned forward to question Decker. “When the hell did you work for Eli David?” 

“Oh right, you guys never met him, it was right before Paris, Zhukov nearly killed Vance. David got him out, and then McAllister sent us to deal with it. 

“Ziva?” Gibbs questioned. 

“He has not mentioned this...though,” there was silence on the phone for a minute. 

“Ziva, we need to know,” Jenny sighed. “Wake him up.” 

“Yes, Director,” Ziva’s voice clicked as the phone call ended. 

“Eli and Vance, why am I not surprised?” Gibbs retorted. 

“Eli used to remark that he had often wished Vance had become Director first,” Jenny sighed. “But I saved his daughter’s life so…” 

“Daughter? Do you know Eli David? Eli David has a daughter?”

“Yea, Decker, we know him,” Gibbs replied. “Ziva David, she’s on my team. Somebody insisted.” 

“Don’t start, Jethro,” Jenny warned. 

“She called you Jethro,” Decker pointed out. 

“If Vance and Eli David are working together…” 

“The Director of Mossad is not undermining me,” Jenny assured. “He doesn’t want to lose his only child.” 

“If Vance promised to send her back…” Gibbs insinuated. 

“Have you met Ziva? She wouldn’t do as she’s told, she’d...she’s loyal to you.” 

“And you,” Gibbs reminded as they slowly pulled out a long empty stretch of road. “How far, Decker?” 

“Thirty-minute drive,” he replied. “Still confused, here how is Eli David…” 

“Eli David is the Director of Mossad, his daughter Ziva and I used to work together, she saved my life, I saved hers and that work brought me to the Director’s position and yes, Vance was runner up. Any further questions?” Jenny’s statement seemed to quiet Decker, and the redhead turned inwards a distant memory of driving this same stretch of road echoing in her head. 

“Gibbs, if someone is coming after us… I may have something,” Decker began. “An insurance policy of sorts, I...I uh left it for you actually, it was in case something happened to us.” 

“Where is it?” 

“In the diner,” Decker sighed. “Another reason I’m not thrilled about this.” 

“Call Mike Franks,” Jenny suggested. 

“No,” Gibbs denied. Jenny rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, dialing a number by memory, a gruff voice answered. 

“Lady director, what did that boy do now?” 

“I need your help,” she said. “Gibbs needs your help.” 

“Where are you?” 

“En route to a diner in the Mojave desert.” 

“Lucky you, I’m not that far away. Give me the address.” Gibbs listened as Jenny repeated the address to his old mentor. Once she hung up the phone, Gibbs glanced back at her again. 

“I suppose there’s something else you wanted to tell me after all.” 

“That the dinosaur and I talk?” She snarked. “You can’t be surprised by that one. He was more than a little curious.” 

“About?” 

“The past.” 

“I bet,” Decker chimed in only to receive a Gibbs glare. “Aww c’mon Gibbs, he probably took one look at her and had the whole story before she could even…” Another head tap, this one slightly harder than the last shut him up. The sounds of silence quickly filled the car.

  
  



	6. From now on  What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight  Tonight

_ From now on _

_ What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight _

_ Tonight _

As they pulled behind a run-down diner, Jenny glanced around her surroundings. The rest of the car ride had been silent as each contemplated what might happen next. She considered what she had learned from McGee and Ziva about McCallister wondering if perhaps she'd gotten to the easy conclusion, instead of the correct one. She honestly didn't think Vance had the balls to kill her.  _ No, he wanted me out in shame and misery, proving I was unfit for the position, that's more his style.  _ McCallister, on the other hand, was an agent senior to her, to Gibbs even. In all honesty, she had been surprised he hadn't been on the list for Director given his career. Until she had met him that was, then she understood,  _ he was a misogynistic ass.  _ _ See what a moment of truth gets you, you have the information you didn't have then,  _ a voice inside her reminded.  _ Decker isn't dead. You're not dead (yet), and Gibbs knows the threat is more than Svetlana.  _

Jenny got out of the car as Gibbs opened the door for her, both glancing around to make sure they had gotten there first. Decker walked around and popped the trunk revealing a stash of weapons. He pulled out one case and handed it to Gibbs. 

"Figure you might want this," Decker said. Gibbs nodded taking the case and turning inside. "Shepard, you want one?" 

"I've got one," she replied, reaching for the gun at her back. Decker followed Gibbs inside with Jenny bringing up the rear. She paused in the doorway, glancing around. She felt her heart rate accelerate, and before she realized it, Gibbs was by her side, grabbing her arm. 

"Jen?" He called. "Jen, you in there?" He gave her a bit of a shake and she blinked as if to clear the memory from her mind. She gave a weak smile hoping he'd let it go. "Decker saw a water tank when we pulled up, go." Decker took the hint and left out the side entrance. "Jen?" 

"I'm fine," Jenny answered. 

"Been married enough times to know fine never means fine," Gibbs grumbled, his hands resting on her throat, feeling her heart rate. 

"I will be fine," Jenny modified. He pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. 

"You and I are going to take care of this together." 

"That's what worries me." 

"You doubting me?" 

"No." 

"Good." Decker's shoe scruffing outside had the two of them splitting apart and glancing in his direction. He had a knowing smirk on his face. 

"Got the water, fancy some tea?" Decker asked. 

"What do you have?" Gibbs asked. Decker started rummaging just as the door opened, and Gibbs and Jenny pulled guns. 

"I only drink lemongrass," came a gruff voice. 

"You don't strike me as the tea-drinking type," Jenny replied, holstering her weapon. Gibbs, on the other hand, kept it aimed. 

"And people say I don't open up. Probie, careful where you point that thing," Mike Franks commented, rolling his eyes at the younger man. 

"You got here awfully fast," Gibbs remarked. 

"Was in the area," Franks reminded. 

"Uh-huh." 

"Decker," Franks greeted. 

  
"Franks, how you been?" Decker inquired trying to diffuse the tension in the room. Gibbs meanwhile grabbed Jenny's wrist and tugged her toward the doorway. 

"Real smooth, Jethro," Jenny sighed. 

"Franks and McAllister were partners," Gibbs informed. 

"And?" 

"And, McAllister is after you." 

"And?" 

"Rule 1." 

"You forgot something about that, Franks was your partner too," Jenny reminded. 

"Probie," Franks called, forcing the younger man to turn and look at him. "What did I tell you about leaving them loose ends?" 

"Not too. I didn't" 

"Someone screwed the pooch," Franks remarked. "Lady director?" 

"I didn't take the shot." 

"Seems a little too perfect timing-wise," Franks said. "Something else behind this?" 

"I had an operation that took down an Arms dealer, some of his associates are not so forgiving," Jenny explained. 

"By takedown, she means out," Decker added, pointing at Gibbs. Franks caught Jenny's wince as she looked away from the other two men. 

"Seems like that's a story for another day," Franks replied. "Still, suddenly, this woman finds you?" 

"She found Decker," Gibbs answered. 

"Uh-huh," Franks commented. "Classified is out the window, who wants to tell me the actual truth?" 

"We think Riley McCallister is behind it," Decker announced. Gibbs head slapped him. "What?" 

"McCallister used to be my partner, what Gibbs is probably considering right now is if he's going to have to shoot a friend," Franks drawled. "You wouldn't, Probie." Franks heard the click of a gun. 

"He wouldn't have to," Jenny warned her gun aimed. Gibbs nodded in her direction. 

"Relax Lady Director," Franks sighed. "McCallister was an ass and not a good partner." 

"So we're on the same side," Jenny inferred her eyes drifting to Gibbs.

"Yea, we're on the same side," Franks agreed. Jenny lowered her weapon. "Where's your St. Bernard?" 

"DC," a ringing interrupted Gibbs, "speak of the devil. Gibbs." 

"Boss," came DiNozzo's voice. "We tracked lady, that we're not supposed to know about, she got in early, was picked up by a guy called Viggo." 

"And?" 

"He has friends, looks to be driving a black SUV." 

"Got a plate?" 

"Not a good one, Boss," DiNozzo replied. "Probably stolen." DiNozzo continued to relay information which Jenny tuned out; she already knew what she was looking for, though she hadn't remembered Svetlana being in the diner.  _ I guess some things do change _ , she thought. She noticed Franks approaching her as Decker stood in the entry, acting as a lookout. 

"You wanna tell me what this is really about?" 

"Gibbs is in danger," she stated. 

"You and Gibbs it looks like," Franks observed. "You wanted to protect him; you wouldn't have said anything." 

"Choose to remake my bed," Jenny said after a moment. Franks nodded. 

"So he told you about those chats we had," Franks guessed. "About freaking time." 

"Last time I did this, I was alone," Jenny explained. 

"You couldn't go through with it." 

"Gibbs would tell you he taught me, he did, but not in time. Ziva's the one who got me over the...morals," Jenny sighed. 

"Decker is under the misguided conclusion that you ordered Gibbs to take out the Arms dealer, but it was you," Franks concluded. Jenny said nothing, turning toward the window. 

"Heads up, SUV coming," Decker said urgently. 

"I'll take the back," Franks said, heading in that direction. Jenny stepped back toward the overturned table, a shield she remembered. 

"They'll come in both entrances," she guessed, aiming at the front with Decker. She felt Gibbs step to her side and point towards the back. 

The action was fast; the two coming in the front surprised that they were expected. Jenny was firing at the first one before anyone got a shot off. After the one-shot rang out, it was followed by the cacophony of gunshots as if a finale in fireworks. The smoke was slowly clouding the area. Jenny felt her shoulder jerk, and she dropped to her knee as she remembered in her dream. It was then she heard a grunt almost inaudible amongst the gunfire, and Gibbs took a knee beside her gritting his teeth. The one bullet that had killed her hit him. Jenny renewed her effort firing quickly before the sound ceased as Franks voiced called out. 

"Drop it," he shouted. The two Russian men left looked over to where Franks held a gun to a blonde. Jenny recognized her immediately despite the decade since she'd last seen her. 

"Hello Natasha," Gibbs greeted, standing and shielding Jenny. "Or do you prefer Svetlana?"

"Not business, this is personal," the woman answered. "I see we've failed at a certain point." 

Jenny stood glancing toward Decker to see him keeping the two men in his sights. She stepped in front of Gibbs and felt him reach toward her. 

"It was you who killed Anatoly," Svetlana exclaimed, looking straight at Gibbs.

"And he was your everything, so what you waited ten years to kill us?" Jenny demanded. 

"Because it took me until now to find you," Svetlana replied. "I remember you; I should have killed you that night, perhaps then someone would know what I felt." 

"Not likely," Jenny snapped. "Who told you?" 

"Le Grenouille."

"Not likely, he was dead already, and he hated you almost as much as I do, I'll ask you again, who told you?" 

"You are the woman he wanted dead, the one he then went to for sanctuary. You expect me to come to you asking for sanctuary?"

"You'd get the same response," Jenny assured. 

"Even if I exposed one of you?" Svetlana enticed. 

"Shall we just shoot them?" One of the Russian men asked. Decker answered that by shooting him as Gibbs shot the other. 

"Well, now it's just you and us," Franks remarked, pressing the gun to her head a little harder. "Start talking." 

Svetlana dropped her bag and gestured to it. "Inside, you'll find the photo of the agent who sold you out." Jenny reached in and rummaged finding a picture of McCallister. "He said his name was Leroy Jethro Gibbs." 

Jenny's head shot up at that and found no lie in her eye. She glanced back over at Gibbs, who was helping Decker check the bodies. 

"That's not his name," Jenny said. 

"I figured it wasn't his real name, but it was the one I was to give you when I killed you." Franks pushed Svetlana into a chair, and before he could turn to tie her up, Jenny had fired the gun, and the woman dropped. 

  
  


"Jen," Gibbs shouted, rushing to her as she dropped again to her knees, and Gibbs was beside her. "Jen," he whispered, pressing on her wound. 

"I had to," she said. "McCallister…" 

"We'll deal with it. Come on, Jen, we gotta get you to a hospital," he whispered. Her phone started to ring. 

"Funny, I thought I heard ringing the last time…" Jenny trailed off. 

"Jen? Jenny, you there?" Gibbs called to her before realizing she passed out.


	7. And let this promise in me start  Like an anthem in my heart  From now on

_ And let this promise in me start _

_ Like an anthem in my heart _

_ From now on _

_ "Funny, I thought I heard ringing the last time…" Jenny trailed off.  _

_ "Jen? Jenny, you there?" Gibbs called to her before realizing she passed out. _

  
  


Gibbs reached for the phone, noticing Ziva's number before shouting at Franks and Decker to get the car and find the nearest hospital. He carefully picked Jenny up before feeling a twinge in his side. 

"I got her Boss," Decker said, taking Jenny from him. Franks appearing at his side to help him up again. 

"Answer the phone," Franks suggested. 

"Gibbs." 

"Gibbs, where's Jenny?" 

"Unconscious, we need a hospital soon," Gibbs told her. 

"I shall have McGee handle the paperwork," Ziva assured. "I need her authorization." 

"For?" 

"Vance has discovered she's in LA. He's called the SecNav." 

"She's on leave, remember?" 

"And that's what he told Vance. Vance, however, made a call back to the LA office, a Hetty Lange to be specific."

"Interesting," Gibbs said. 

"We believe it was for a tail on the Director, and you, SecNav, knew you were with her." 

"Not an issue, take care of the hospital, have Ducky call them, and tell him the surgery is a go." 

"Gibbs?" Ziva questioned. 

"Do as I say," Gibbs ordered, hanging up. He headed out to he car, sliding in the back, putting Jenny's head in his lap as Decker got behind the wheel. Franks walked back to the diner before returning to the car. 

"You got what you need," Franks asked Decker. 

"Yea, I do," Decker replied, handing Franks a small slip of paper. 

"Drop me at the airport after we drop them off." 

"One of yours called, Gibbs," Decker announced. "Said the hospital is expecting the two of you, Geneive and Jack Talbert." 

"Just like the old days," Gibbs sighed. Just then, the sound of an explosion had Decker gunning the gas as the dinner went up in flames. 

  
  


Jenny slowly drifted in and out of consciousness, hearing voices and machines beeping around her. She was in agony, a pain in her arm radiating through her body but surprisingly no constant pain in her head. That's _ new; Jenny _ thought as she continued her inventory. Her one hand also felt unusually warm, and she twitched just to see what was covering it. It didn't feel like a blanket; it was rough but gentle, almost like a certain Marine's hands. 

"Jen?" a deep voice called her name, the name she secretly only liked when he used it. She blinked her eyes open to find dimmed lights in the room and one NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, lounging in a chair holding her hand. 

"Jethro," she greeted, almost disgusted with how weak her voice sounded. 

"Hey," he smiled at her. 

She gripped his hand a little tighter trying to figure out what was going on. She hadn't died in the diner, _ one change successful. _ She was still going to die from the mass in her head,  _ but... there's no pain?  _ She knew enough about wishful thinking to realize it likely hadn't magically gone away. She was probably just dosed on good pain killers. 

"Jenny?" Gibbs questioned stroking a finger over her hand to have her redirect her attention. He reached for a cup of water with his free hand and held it up to her giving her a sip through the straw. It helped ease some of the pain in her throat. 

"Did we…"

"It's over, Jenny," he assured.

"How many times was I…"  
"Shot?" He guessed. "Just the once in your arm, it got lodged near the bone, you're going to need physical therapy." 

"What do they have me on?" 

"Currently morphine, they've been easing up on the dose, probably why you're awake."

"I can't...morphine and the drugs...did they talk Ducky?" Jenny finally got out concerned. She had paid attention when Ducky told her what she could have in conjunction with the drugs. 

"You don't need the drugs anymore," Gibbs told her, squeezing her hand. 

"What?" She exclaimed. Any further questions were cut off as a doctor came into the room. 

“Ah Ms. Talbert,” he began.

"Mrs," Gibbs corrected. 

"Right, my mistake, Mrs. Talbert," the doctor started over. "It appears your surgery went well. Masses were removed, and you should start to see an improvement in your balance and coordination within a couple of weeks. It will take some additional time for everything to go back to normal, and you should be watched for memory lapses. Do you have any questions?" 

"No," Jenny replied, trying to hide her confusion. She glanced down at her left hand to see a familiar gold band on it and, at the same time, felt Gibbs squeeze her hand again. "When can I leave?" 

"A few more days of recovery, and you'll be discharged," the doctor answered. Seeing they had no more questions, he mentioned a nurse being in later to check on her and just to press the call button if anything came up before leaving. Jenny watched him go before moving her gaze to her left wrist, where a hospital band wrapped around it. She held up her hand, twisting so she could read the name.  _ Geneive Talbert, that was from Paris. What the hell?  _ Her eyes darted to Gibbs, trying to catalog features in his face; he still looked the same,  _ that doesn't help _ . Her eyes went to her left hand, still held up, and noticed it wasn't trembling. A glance at the window, the darkness of night didn't reveal any definitive scenery. 

"Jethro," she started, panic slipping into her voice. "Where are we?" 

"Memorial Hospital in LA," he answered. 

"Okay, and what day is it?" 

"May 15," he answered again. 

"The year Jethro, what year?" 

"2009 Jen," he said with confusion before pausing, his free hand brushing her cheek tot have her make eye contact. "Hey, the doctors said you might be confused, but they didn't say anything about memory loss." 

"I…"

"Jenny, it's 2009, you're the Director of NCIS." 

"I know that," Jenny assured. "I just...the the name." 

"Oh, we were trying to stay off the radar. Those covers never got burned." He held up his wrist, showing her the band that read Jack Talbert. 

"Svetlana, the diner, that all happened?" 

"Yes, I took a graze to the side, you took one to the shoulder, Decker has bruises and a broken arm. Franks is fine," Gibbs recapped quietly. 

"The insurance policy?" 

"Franks took it." 

"McCallister?" 

"Don't' worry about him," Gibbs told her. "You just need to worry about getting better." 

"Jethro, a shot to the arm doesn't equate to memory loss or balance," she explained. 

"No, it doesn't." 

"I thought we'd already decided to stick to the truth." 

"I signed the medical consent forms. They operated and took out the masses," Gibbs said. 

"You what?" 

"You heard me."

"You signed something you should never have had," Jenny's ranted trailed off as she noticed the smirk cross his face. "It won't work on me." His eyebrow quirked. "That...it used to work on me...make me not angry. It hasn't worked in a while, in case you hadn't noticed." 

"You always did mistake that," Gibbs pondered. "I only ever look at you like that when I solve a puzzle about you." 

"What?"

"If you didn't want me to have that power, you would have changed the papers years ago, Jen, in fact, you had," Gibbs continued. "Then you changed it back after your kidnapping. I was thinking about it after our conversation the other night." 

"You could have told me," she said, annoyed. 

"You were unconscious," he reminded. A knock at the door distracted Jenny from any further complaints. An older woman walked in, and Jenny felt Gibbs shift a hand under her pillow. 

"You put a gun under her pillow boy? Did you really think that was a good idea?" 

"Hetty," Gibbs greeted. 

"Director, I see you're recovering," Hetty said, ignoring Gibbs. 

"A few days, I'll be out, surprised you took the trouble of coming down," Jenny replied. 

"Jen," Gibbs warned. 

"Jethro," Jenny sighed. "Let me guess, Tony or McGee told you that Vance called Hetty, and you took that to mean she was going to tail us." 

"Ziva, actually." 

"Hetty works for me," Jenny said with a roll of her eyes. 

"She might work for NCIS," Gibbs commented. 

"Boy, like you, I like the current Director much better than the previous or the future, I do work for her." 

"And what has my assistant director said?" Jenny inquired. 

"Surprised you were here, wanted to know the whole story," Hetty answered. "Very curious why you ditched your normal security and took one lead agent with you." 

"He knows I'm in the hospital?" Jenny pressed suddenly concerned. "Jethro…"

"It's not in the papers, not a whisper," Gibbs assured. "Hetty?"

"Oh, you have smart St. Bernard," Hetty complimented. "Young Anthony DiNozzo spread quite the tale to the Secretary of the Navy, one that involves a retired NCIS agent with a grudge who's attempted to murder the Director of NCIS while she was on vacation and planted an incendiary device in the mailbox of the Assistant Director." 

"What?" Came the joint response.

"Well, that part's a lie," Hetty continued. "Manufactured with some convincing evidence." Gibbs and Jenny sat silently, digesting what they'd heard. "And then Vance suddenly claimed that he needs to get home and be with his family." 

"He's back in LA?" Gibbs said. 

"Yes, but he bought DiNozzo's story. He's genuinely concerned for his family." 

"So Vance isn't the mastermind," Jenny concluded. 

"Not this time," Hetty assured, turning for the door. "I'd still watch my back around him." Gibbs stood and stopped Hetty for a minute.

"I'll watch her back," Gibbs promised. 

"You do that," Hetty said before turning back to the door and then back to Gibbs. "When you have a chance, you may be interested in learning the identity of Tyler Owens." Gibbs nodded. Gibbs closed the door behind her before turning back to Jenny. 

"What was that about?" Jenny asked. 

"Rule 1," Gibbs said. Jenny laughed. "You okay with what she said?" 

"About the fake attempted murder?" 

"No, SecNav knows where you are." 

"That's not what you're asking me," Jenny said after a moment. His nod was barely discernable. Jenny was quiet for a moment, reflecting on the last few days.  _ One enemy eliminated, a second under investigation, no more brain masses, and Jethro knows.  _

A buzzing of a cellphone pulled them out of their trance.

"It's McGee, yea Gibbs." 

"Boss," McGee sounded out of breath. 

"What McGee?"

"Boss, DiNozzo, and Ziva left for LA, Abby just told me. They said the Director requested them." 

"She did," Gibbs confirmed. 

"Yea Boss, that's not...are they there?" 

"No, why?" 

"They should have landed two hours ago, but both their phones are off." Another phone buzzed, and Jenny reached for the one sitting on the bedside table. 

"It's Ziva," she said. 

"McGee, they're calling in now, just go back to what you were doing, see if McCallister's been in touch with anyone else." 

"Ziva?" Jenny said as Gibbs hung up his phone. 

"Jenny, we'll be a bit late to the hospital. I have an errand to run for my father," Ziva replied. 

"See you later," Jenny answered, hanging up. She looked to Gibbs. "Ziva's running an errand." 

"For her father?" 

"That's what she said." 

"A moment of truth," Gibbs reminded, sitting down on the bed next to her. 

"And I meant what I said," Jenny replied, her eyes meeting his. "Together." 

"Together," he promised to kiss her knuckles. She pressed her head to his chest, listening to his heartbeat for a moment, noticing how his hand had tightened on her shoulder. Jenny tucked her head into his shoulder after a moment relishing in the calmness that being in his arms brought. 

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

  
  


_ And we will come back home _

Jennifer Shepard shot up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat taking deep breaths as her hands flew to her stomach. She pressed down, expecting to find blood but found nothing, realizing she was in bed and not in a diner. She took another deep breath, trying to regulate her heart rate. The pain radiating through her body felt like she’d been shot, but a quick examination found no bullet wounds.  _ A nightmare, it was just a nightmare _ , she thought as she glanced at the alarm clock. It was one day into her mini-vacation. In two weeks, she would get the phone call that William Decker had died.

_ Déjà vu  _ was her the second thought, then came the worry. Jenny took a deep breath; she’d already done this. She’d taken a leap of faith and gone to Jethro and told him everything. One moment of honesty hadn’t ultimately cost her anything more than a new scar, but it had gained her everything.  _ Speaking of which... _ Jenny looked around the room,  _ where is Jethro?  _ Jenny looked around her room, seeing no evidence of him. No evidence of their relationship.  _ Was it a dream?  _ A stone seemed to sink in her stomach as the thought registered. As she so often had, she had dreamed of a new life with him. A tear slipped down her cheek; she didn’t want to believe that.  _ He’s at home; he’ll be at home.  _ She quickly pulled a sweater over her head and ran down the stairs grabbing her car keys. 

She drove quickly, reaching his driveway, but not finding a car in his driveway. It didn’t stop her from getting out and running into the house calling for him.

“Jethro? Jethro, are you here?” She called throughout the house, finding a layer of dust on the and the basement dark. There was no answer. The nightmare of dying would be nothing to the horror of the life she had dreamed up. A life with no secrets between her and Jethro. The work that they’d both put into their relationship after LA was by no means minuscule on either of their parts. It had been weeks and months still with one or the other storming out or halted elevator conversations. It had also been months of passion and intimacy that they had barely delved the surface of the first time around.  _ No,  _ she swore to herself.  _ It was too real to have been a dream; he’s just at the office.  _

And so to the office she went. She missed the look of surprise on the guard’s face when he waved her through the checkpoint. She pretended not to hear Palmer or Ducky call after as she blew through the autopsy room.  _ Abby’s lab _ would be the first stop she told herself. Abby had the music up loud as normal bopping around the room as her machines worked, but no Caf-Pow sight. As Jenny breezed in, the Goth froze and turned to before quickly turning the music off. 

“Jenny?” 

“Gibbs?” 

“Um not here,” Abby began to continue but couldn’t get another word out as Jenny turned on her heels and flew up the stairs bypassing the elevator. The Goth quickly called McGee. “Um, I thought Jenny was at home?”

“The Director? She’s supposed to be.” 

“She’s here.” 

“But Gibbs…never mind, Abs, I see her.” 

In the few seconds, it seemed as if Jenny had flown up to the bullpen. She found it distressingly empty of who she was looking for. She spotted Ziva and Tony on the in the hall leading to the interrogation rooms and McGee at his desk, but still no Gibbs. 

“Jenny,” Ziva called, trying to grab her attention, but Leon Vance walking toward them distracted her. 

“What the hell is he doing here?” 

“Jenny? He’s here to give testimony on the McCallister case,” Ziva said as if that was common knowledge. 

“What?” She questioned. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at home?” Tony asked.

“What?” Jenny repeated herself, glancing around. 

“Jenny, let’s talk,” Ziva suggested grabbing her old partner’s arm, surprised when it was jerked away. 

“Where is Gibbs?” 

“Probably on his way to your house,” Tony finally said. “He mentioned you were taking the day off; you were both taking it off. Then we got the call from Ziva’s dad, and he came in for a minute but said he was going back.” 

“My home?” Jenny clarified. She caught Ziva’s and Tony’s glances to each other. 

“Jenny, why don’t you drive home?” Ziva tried. “I’m sure you two just passed each other.” Ziva started working to the elevator gesturing for Jenny to follow, and as the doors closed, Jenny heard Tony mumble. 

“And I get the short straw and have to call Gibbs.” 

“Ziva, what day is it?” 

“May 15,” She replied. “Jenny, everything okay?” 

“I don’t know,” Jenny whispered. “I thought...but can I...Riley McCallister, does that name mean something to you?” Jenny asked, trying to think of something that Ziva would know that would also seem inconspicuous if she had dreamt the whole thing. 

“Yes,” Ziva said. “You thought my father wanted to talk about that?”

“No, of course not,” Jenny assured. Ziva simply nodded. Ziva walked her to the car and waved as she drove back home. The drive was as fast-paced as her drive to NCIS just thirty minutes earlier. She pulled up to the brownstone and ran up the drive into the house. The lights were off in the entry, and she didn’t hear anything. 

“Jen?” His voice echoed down the hall, and Jenny ran into the study seeing him standing next to the bookcase. 

“Jethro?” 

“Hey, where you been? I thought you were going to sleep in, and…” he was stopped as she placed her hands gently on his face meeting his eyes. Seeing the worry in her eyes, he pressed a kiss to her palm before moving his hands to mirror hers. “You okay?” 

“I thought...it doesn’t matter,” She whispered, pressing a kiss to his lips. 

“Jen,” he breathed. “DiNozzo said you went into the office. You asked Ziva what day it was...” 

“I thought I dreamt it,” Jenny explained. “LA, McCallister.” 

“Svetlana and McCallister are gone, it’s been a year,” Gibbs replied. “You told me if you started…”

“I’m not, I just woke up and you weren’t there,” Jenny promised. She kissed him again, relishing in the feel as he moved his arms to wrap around her and pull her close. Things finally starting to making sense again. The trip to LA to save Decker, Svetlana, McCallister’s disappearance, Vance flipping, everything started to cycle back. 

“I love you, Jen,” he whispered in her ear, halting all her thoughts. She smiled up at him. 

“That’ll be the day,” she joked as he laughed. Jenny kissed him again and started pulling him toward the staircase. “So the Director’s off till the sun comes up again tomorrow..”

“So a day at home?” Gibbs inquired, hopefully, following her willingly. 

“I could do that,” Jenny replied. Their laughter continued as the door shut behind them. 

  
  


_ Home again.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I don't love this chapter, but it does tie it up nicely, and once again it took me a decade to finish a story.

**Author's Note:**

> And so we continue quarantine writing with another Judgement Day AU. When I finished Second Chances over a decade ago, I realized I didn't love it. As much as I wanted Gibbs to want a second chance, I wanted Jenny to have one. This is hers and naturally, it got away from me...


End file.
